When Michael Bisping spits venom, no one is safe.
Michael Bisping has claimed that he has, at most, one more fight left in him. After suffering consecutive losses for the first time in his career, he has indicated that his next bout may be his swansong.
So naturally enough, there is a queue of fighters clamouring to be the guy that retires the former middleweight king. Luke Rockhold, Yoel Romero, Lyoto Machida have all been linked with the fight and at UFC Glendale, Brad Tavares wanted to make sure he was in that conversation.
After knocking out Krzysztof Jotko on the preliminary card to secure his fourth-straight victory, Tavares shot his shot. When Jon Anik held the mic up to his lips, the 16-fight UFC veteran sent ‘The Count’ a message.
“Definitely I feel like all this hard work is paying off and it’s my time right now. I’m looking for him. I don’t see him. Michael Bisping, where you at, bro? Meet me UFC 226 in Las Vegas July 7. I would love the chance to fight you.”
Hawaii stand up!@BradTavares finishes Jotko here in Glendale!! #UFCGlendale pic.twitter.com/Yo2oAo8za1
— UFC (@ufc) April 14, 2018
The confrontation
Just to hammer the point home, Tavares sought out Bisping backstage after the fight. A member of his entourage and Fox Sports’ Karyn Bryan both filmed the encounter.
It was all in good spirits, but Bisping was clearly having none of it. When Tavares shook his hand and tried to mention his fight offer, the Brit responded sharply, “Get the fuck out!”
The rumour erupted in laughter as Tavares went on his merry way.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhkYFTjF9vs/?hl=en&taken-by=kbheat
Third time’s the charm?
Megan Olivi gave Tavares another opportunity to speak directly to Bisping about a potential fight. Unlike their backstage encounter, this one was going out live on Fox Sports to ensure it received maximum exposure.
“So you guys didn’t see it, but I literally just spoke to him directly. I walked into the room, he was chilling. You know, I didn’t want to bombard him and be hostile. But I told him, ‘Hey, what’s up, Michael? Let me give you your walking papers. He told me to ‘get the F out’ a la Michael Bisping.”
“But no, seriously, Mike. Let’s do this. You know I’ve been calling you out for a long time. I know you need an opponent and you want somebody that’s not going to lay and pray that’s going to hump your leg. You want to get in there with somebody that’s going to bang. *Thuds chest* I’m your guy.”
Olivi gave ‘the Count’ the floor. ‘Michael, what do you say?’
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhkovN-FvIV/?hl=en&taken-by=bradtavares808
Michael had a lot to say.
“Well, well, well. Listen, I don’t need anything. I certainly don’t need anything from you, Mr Brad Tavares. You couldn’t shine my shoes.”
“I might have said, ‘Get out,’ but I said it friendly. He’s trying to make it sound like I was all hostile. I sat there, I didn’t even move. I think I was eating a bag of chips., I was like, ‘Oh, this guy. You just got your arsed kicked off Jotko. He walked in trying to act big time, I was like, ‘Come on. Get out pal.’ Listen, Brad, there’s never ever anything that you have that I would need.”
Brad Tavares joins the list of fighters to call out Michael Bisping… Still, @bisping is not concerned 😂. pic.twitter.com/ee0SExBcTU
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) April 15, 2018
So you’re saying…. there’s a chance?
